Labor Day weekend at Smith Mountain Lake ends

MONETA, Va. (WDBJ) - As Labor Day weekend ended, people were swimming, boating, and even dining in. Summer is coming to a close but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end.

People were excited to be back in the water after a swimming advisory at Smith Mountain Lake was lifted.

“It’s just a nice place to spend some time.” says boater Kelly Moser.

Kelly and Mark Moser travel to the lake every summer for a week to relax with their family.

“It’s just absolutely beautiful out here, people are friendly, and we are having quiet cruising around the lake,” says Mark Moser.

The last bit of summer allows for plenty of activities out on the lake.

“We are going to do the Lake Olympics,” says boater Elaina Moody.

Moody is out on the lake with friends to enjoy this break from school. They host their own version of the lake Olympics twice during the summer.

“So we’re doing swimming, kayaking, dancing, and diving,” explained Moody.

The manager of the Crazy Horse Marina says he’s glad business is back and booming.

“The seasons have been actually a bit up and down. It started off slow with the weather in May and June,” says manager Chris Bechtler. “We had the algae bloom early on and things were still a little slow. Since July things have picked up.”

Bechtler says the restaurant and the Marina were quite busy over Labor Day weekend.

“Picking up where it left off yesterday, boats continually coming in, getting some gas, and getting back out there on the water. The restaurants picking up right now as it just opened for the day,” added Bechtler.

He says even though summer is ending, the boating experience doesn’t stop.

“There are winter and fall boating seasons on this lake. It’s a beautiful lake to get out there even in the off-season. So, we don’t close down completely but we do slow down.” stated Bechtler.

If you’re planning on boating Smith Mountain Lake, make sure to stay safe and wear your life vest.

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